


Of a Pebble in a Mountain

by Matloc



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, M/M, Teikou Era, terribad metaphors I'm so sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-09
Updated: 2015-03-09
Packaged: 2018-03-17 04:05:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3514733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Matloc/pseuds/Matloc
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Akashi stood up, licking his lips. A low whisper swept away by the wind, “I expect double the payment next time.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of a Pebble in a Mountain

** Of a Pebble in a Mountain **

 

The world looked so massive like this. Too big, Kuroko thought.

The roof was too high, the court was too wide, and the sound of shoes squeaking and balls dribbling was too far.

He couldn’t reach any of it.

Not him. Maybe others could, but never him.

Here Kuroko was, lying on the floor, looking unseemly small. This outstretched world held no room for someone so tiny. A jagged pebble tottering down a mountain. Unnoticed and unheard in the never-ending expanse of looming trees and crushing boulders.

A pair of sports shoes stopped next to his collapsed form.

“Kuroko.” A pair of red eyes greeted him. Kuroko felt like he was being examined. “Practice is over. You passed out halfway through.”

“Yes, I…” He wondered how many times he had repeated this phrase, “I’m sorry.”

“It would be more helpful if you could get up.” Kuroko wanted to, but his body wouldn’t listen.

Akashi observed him some more, like a hunter coming across tracks of an animal he had never seen before.

He held out a bottle of Pocari and set it down next to Kuroko’s head. “Drink this once you’re able.”

Kuroko shifted, trying to get rid of the feeling of lead pressing onto him. “Thank you, Akashi-kun. I apologize for making you go out of your way to help me.”

His captain smiled, reminding Kuroko of a hunter who’d found his prey. “That’s fine, as long as I receive compensation.”

There were no blaring sirens, no blinding lights, no gunshots – only the sensation of the weight suppressing his body finally lifting, along with his heart, as lips fell softly on his own.

It was a feather tickling his lips, a heat embracing his mouth, and a breath filling and emptying his lungs at the same time. It came all at once and disappeared even faster, leaving behind a dazed Kuroko. A breathless Kuroko. A Kuroko who felt lighter than a leaf.

Akashi stood up, licking his lips. A low whisper swept away by the wind, “I expect double the payment next time.”

Then all Kuroko could hear was the sound of footsteps fading away as he remained lying on the floor that felt much colder now. Or perhaps it was his body that was burning up.

“Tetsu! There you are!”

And suddenly a stampede of feet barreled its way to Kuroko.

“Kurokocchi, what are you doing on the floor? You’ll catch a cold, you know!”

“Today’s horoscope did warn me about dangerous objects lying in my path, but I didn’t expect it to be you, Kuroko.”

“Let’s go plaaaay, Kuro-chin.” He felt a pair of hands lift him up like a stuffed toy, but he didn’t complain. He liked this view far better than when he was on the floor.

Because the world felt a little bit smaller, a little bit closer now.

 

 

 


End file.
